My wife and I just "took inventory" at the RV park nearby...and met a couple with a 2005 25' Classic (purchased 2006 Mpls dealer) that they are trying to sell. It is the crosswise queen with couch at other end. Quite clean...main use was a 3-4000 mile trip when new. Stored outside.
Also, they got a "deal" when purchased new from the local AS dealer as it has significant hail damage mostly on read endcap. Not structural damage (I don't think?) just cosmetic and appeared to be isolated to endcap. Otherwise quite a bit of Filoform(?) corrosion on trim pieces...maybe a bit on front where rocks have made small nicks.
Question...
1) Do many just leave hail damage? What would endcap panel(s) replacement cost...very ballpark.
2) What would you guess "as is" condition...interior would likely clean up like new...no pets no smoke...little use. Exterior has hail damage and moderate Filoform corrosion.
I would quickly learn to not look at the end cap. It's in the back up high, so try to ignore it.
Nicks on the rock guards are normal. They are stainless steel and I haven't heard of filiform on them.
Trim pieces—which ones? If it's the strip in the center of the extrusions at the base of the aluminum panels and around the beltline, it is delamination, not filiform. The strip is silver color on many newer trailers, comes in rolls, has a glue backing and is relatively cheap. Depending on what other "trim pieces" have filiform, you can call the Airstream dealer near Minneapolis and get prices to replace them (and ask about the end cap). I called them once to get information and they were very helpful. If that's all that's wrong with it, it seems pretty minor (except for the hail).
I don't know what the floorplan looks like. If it's like the FB's, that's what we have and we like it. But our "sofa" is just a bench and is on the side, so it may be different. Where's the dinette?
You didn't say what they were asking. You can use the hail damage to work the price down. Hail damaged vehicles can be hard to sell. I wonder why they didn't get it fixed with insurance money? Ask them—if they pocketed the money, they've already discounted the trailer in their minds.
Hi Gene...the trailer was purchased new from the dealer WITH the hail damage..."as is" I assume they got a good initial price. It has the crosswise queen in the back of the trailer with a full couch across the front...no dinette...kind of a small credenza and tables that pull out/extend from each side.
The damage on the rear is quite extensive and primarily below the rear window on the main part of the back of the trailer. Damage appears cosmetic rather than structural or functional. I probably misused the term endcap. The owner said the roof did not get damaged...just the rear panels.
The filoform is not on the belting...but on items such as a circular trim around a small light on the pass side. Rock scratches are above the rock guard.
The owner is down sizing due to health issues and is asking $26,500. Not quite sure how to evaluate. They have been trying to sell for quite awhile and just lowered the rpice form $29,000 to $26,500.
Your thoughts?? Would probably want to repair the rear after assessing how we respond to RV lifestyle...or trade for a floorplan/length after "learning" what we do not know today
Hi, TomR. Offer them $22,000.00 or $23,000.00 [if you like the trailer] since it will be hard for them to sell like this [hail damage] and more than likely will have a Salvage title. Also plan to use it like it is because of the cost to repair it properly.
As a 25' Classic owner my advise would be to hold out for a unit in better condition. Looking at those dents ,structural or not would always bother me and having them fixed is not just the cost of the panels but the trip to a dealer or the factory competent enough to do the work. Sometimes a good deal is not necessarly a good deal. 3 to 5 thousand in panel replacement and you could have bought a unit in excellent condition.
As a 25' Classic owner my advise would be to hold out for a unit in better condition. Looking at those dents ,structural or not would always bother me and having them fixed is not just the cost of the panels but the trip to a dealer or the factory competent enough to do the work. Sometimes a good deal is not necessarly a good deal. 3 to 5 thousand in panel replacement and you could have bought a unit in excellent condition.
Thanks Craftsman...do you have this floorplan? ie; crosswise queen in back and full couch in front with no dinette? If so how do you like it?
Hi, TomR. Offer them $22,000.00 or $23,000.00 [if you like the trailer] since it will be hard for them to sell like this [hail damage] and more than likely will have a Salvage title. Also plan to use it like it is because of the cost to repair it properly.
Hi Bob...I had not thought of any title issues?
Might the dealer have issued a salvage title? Not familiar with a salvage title and always assumed they would only be used for a major, near totalled damage situation.
I guess I did wonder how an insurance company would prevent someone from claiming hail damage after new insurance had been in place for awhile?
Now that you describe it in more detail, I tend to agree with craftsman. I don't know what the market value is and that's the question you asked. $26,500 sounds like a pretty big discount for a 4 year old trailer if otherwise in great shape, but I don't know what comparable models are selling for.
I don't care for that floorplan, but some do, some don't. I like the biggest table I can get for all the stuff we have.
I don't think the damage was enough to total it and thus there would be no salvage title. Just my guess.
I think making a claim again on damage would be found out by the new owner's insurance company. Insurance companies share data on claims.
I don't know how long you've been looking and if it's a long time, the pressure builds up to just get something and be done with searching. But if you don't like it, you might not like it next year either.
Tom, I have the twins in the rear and the reason I went with the twins is because you have both interior AND exterior storage under the beds, a large rear storage area opening to the outside. I like the center isle between the beds, the large night stand between the beds with drawer and the beds are longer with a hanging closet at the foot of each bed. I wouldn't consider a Queen in anything smaller than a 30'. A dinette would have been nice but the large fold out table works just fine. The side Queen in a 25 just leaves no real room to move around it and it's a real compromise as far as storage. I came real close to ordering a 34 footer and now I'm glad that I didn't. The 25 is a perfect size, not to small that it feels cramped and not so large that you have trouble maneuvering it.
Tom, what works for one doesn't for another. We find the storage in the FB queen fine plus there's space in the truck for overflow. My wife sleeps on the inside (my back makes it hard for me to crawl out of that side) and doesn't complain about the space at the foot of the bed and we manage to change clothes without a problem. The dinette leaves space for a laptop, assorted stuff that seems to be needed on the table, and a place to watch TV, read, etc. A real sofa would be nice, but the table is not negotiable for us.
Craftsman's right for him; we're right for us. It all depends how you travel and what's important to you.
I have used the dealer in Minneapolis for repairs, and do not recommend them. The repairs took far longer than they were supposed to, the work was sloppy and incomplete, and they left a mess inside the trailer! From now on I'll only use Hart Trailer Sales in Long Prairie, MN. They used to be an Airstream dealer and were Airstream-certified mechanics but have since let that go as they just didn't sell enough of them in a small, remote location. The mechanics are the same ones who used to be certified by Airstream and seem to know Airstream products very well. I had them re-do much of the work done by the Minneapolis dealership to finally get it done right. Regarding the cost of fixing the panels, from what I know $1000 is low, and $1200 to $1300 is closer to the mark depending on the panel. I know someone who's 2007 Safari Special Edition was dented in the rear while in storage...the estimate on fixing it was almost $2000 because it is the panel with a window and as such has even more rivets.
Last edited by AirstreamFan; 06-18-2009 at 11:49 AM.
Reason: misspelling
Tom, we have a 2005 Classic with the couch in front and twin beds in back. We like this arrangement real well since the couch is real comfortable and works good for watching TV or a movie or just relaxing. We have a flat panel TV with DVD built in that we place on the credenza. The couch also folds out to be a comfortable bed for one person and not bad for two. We were not sure about the pop up table when we bought it, but think this is a very workable arrangement. Sometimes my wife and I both sit on the couch to eat or otherwise pull out one of the Zip Dee chairs. We use the small pop up table next to the door with a laptop or use the bigger table without folding it out at other times.
With the damage on the unit you are looking at, I would offer $20,000 for it if you really like it. The advantage of the Classic is that it has a 54 gal fresh water tank, 39 gal gray water tank and 30 gal black water tank. We have used ours dry camping for several days being conservative and the holding tanks worked real well.
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That would be expensive...Thanks Steve
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